Medical Director worried about lack of ventilators in Western Region

The Effia-Nkwanta Hospital, the major referral hospital in the Western and Western North Regions, has appealed to the public to help the facility procure ventilators in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ventilators, according to Dr. Joseph Tambil, the Medical Director of the Hospital, were key in providing emergency health care to people with acute respiratory conditions as in the case of the COVID-19, which mainly attacked the respiratory system.

Dr. Tambil told the Ghana News Agency about how happy the facility was in receiving diverse support from institutions across the Region in the form of Veronica buckets, hand Sanitizers, gloves, and other key PPEs, but was worried about the lack of ventilators in any of the facilities providing health care in the Western Region and the Western North Region.

He said, “Despite the great donations and support, we will not be able to help critical patients in the wake of this novel disease whenever the need arises because we lack ventilators”.

The Takoradi Hospital and the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, however, lacked nose masks, surgical and normal gloves to aid in quality health care delivery, he added.

Reverend Nicolas Osei-Boateng, the Administrator of the Takoradi Hospital who confirmed the lack of nose masks, surgical and normal gloves to the GNA, entreated benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the facility.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister reacting to the lack of Ventilators in the Region, said the government had released 17 ambulances to the Region with in-built ventilators.

He said the ambulances would be distributed to the appropriate facilities soon for medical services.